El President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, announced on Wednesday that a group of Haitian gangs had taken four Salvadorans hostage who were part of an international UN-supported security unit. In response, a military operation was initiated to safely retrieve them. The joint efforts of El Salvador’s military and the UN Gang Suppression Force, tasked with aiding Haitian law enforcement against powerful gangs, faced challenges due to ongoing intense conflicts in the area.
Bukele confirmed the military operation to rescue the Salvadorans in a social media post without disclosing specific details about the operation or the identity of the group holding them captive. The Gang Suppression Force did not provide an immediate comment on the situation. The four Salvadorans went missing after escaping from a burning armored vehicle that was attacked by armed gangs near Port-au-Prince as they were returning from a market to their base.
Haitian gangs have strengthened their control over the capital and surrounding areas in recent years due to political instability, widespread extortion, and the influx of illegal weapons, primarily originating from the U.S. Various countries, including Chad and Sri Lanka, have deployed troops as part of the Gang Suppression Force, which has only reached a fraction of its intended size and has had limited success in enhancing Haiti’s security.
Bukele clarified that the missing individuals were aviation technicians, not combatants, emphasizing that their role was in medical evacuations and saving lives, not engaging in warfare. The Haitian government labeled the abduction of the technicians as a top priority and held discussions at the prime minister’s office to strategize on reinforcing operations in collaboration with the Gang Repression Force. The government affirmed its commitment to mobilize all necessary resources to secure the safe release of the abducted Salvadorans.